The death toll from unprecedented fires raging across California, Oregon and Washington has risen to 35, as smoke from the record-shattering blazes brought some of the world’s most polluted air to Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and other cities. Nearly 5 million acres have already burned, with entire towns consumed by flames.

President Trump is visiting California today but is refusing to link the fires to the climate crisis. California Governor Gavin Newsom says there is no question about what is fueling the fires.

Gov. Gavin Newsom: “California, folks, is America fast forward. What we’re experiencing right here is coming to a community all across the United States of America unless we get our act together on climate change, unless we disabuse ourselves of all the BS that’s being spewed by a very small group of people.”

On Friday, Governor Newsom signed a bill allowing former prisoner firefighters to have their records expunged, paving the way for them to get jobs as municipal firefighters.